My wife likes the idea of working with foam/canvas. Im not sure how much you guys pay for canvas, but my wife found this online. They also have several different widths and colors. Is this a good buy? One more quick question, wife wants to know. Would buying colored canvas be a waste of money? I told her since paint goes over canvas, I tend to think it would.

There's a stickied thread of canvas sources that I read when I was figuring out where to get mine. I ordered the 11.5oz weight from Chicago canvas, because when I did the math it seemed the most cost effective, and came in a wide enough width that I could minimize seams. But I know big duck has been used by some people around here as well.

I think you will want to paint over the canvas so colored canvas may not be the way to go. It might work ok for interior applications though. for small trailers Harbor Freight 12x9 drop cloths work great. With a coupon I usually get them for under $14.00. They are around a 10oz. thick cloth. That is all I used in my build.

George.

Gorrilla Glue, Great Stuff and Gripper. The three G's of foamie construction.

HMK wrote:My wife likes the idea of working with foam/canvas. Im not sure how much you guys pay for canvas, but my wife found this online. They also have several different widths and colors. Is this a good buy? One more quick question, wife wants to know. Would buying colored canvas be a waste of money? I told her since paint goes over canvas, I tend to think it would.

I have thought about and suggested using colored canvas and painting over it with untinted paint as has been done over wood. Havent had a chance to experiment. GPW had a thought that it might discolor in time.

I lucked into a seamless HF 9x12 last one I picked up. Next time I go I hope I'm as lucky again. I still need one more 9x12 and a 6x9 to finish out mine, so that's at least two more trips to HF before my 20% off coupon runs out.

If you get the flyer in your Sunday paper, occasionally they'll have that little multimeter free with purchase of something else. I got one of those freebies to keep in the camper-specific toolbox I plan on keeping in there with stuff that might be needed for patching/repairing: Stuff like a roll of #14 wire, electrical tape, extra extension cord, that tester, jack, 4-way, tire plugs, a pack or 2 of running light bulbs, and of course duct tape, scraps of canvas, a bottle of TB2, etc.

You're GONNA have seams in places. No getting around it. Literally---corners will make you have overlaps and seams I'm just trying to put them in unobtrusive places, and symmetrical side-to-side. Of course, who am I kidding? I have one green and one white wheel on it

QUOTE: “ You're GONNA have seams in places. No getting around it. Literally “ … Like Bill said , there will always be seams , but just like seams on clothing , if you make them NEAT , nobody will notice …. actually nobody will notice anyway , we are our own worst critics …

An you can always hide the seam , same as the RV people do with a little “trim moulding "of some sort over the seam . Since the overlap is already waterproof , the molding is purely decorative… We've long thought of ending the seam on the roof edge and using some thin canvas webbing as a trim piece , and it would actually add a little more strength to the outer skin which is never a bad thing ..

HMK , although we’ve never tried it , it would “seam" ( pun) that once you glue it down to the canvas and then paint it , it would be pretty solid … and look good too ….. like a trim moulding on a car …

Well, today I opened a Lowe's 9x12 8oz drop cloth and lo and behold, there's a seam smack down the middle. Two pieces of 4.5 x 12 sewed together. Already open, 15 miles to Lowes, scrooit, it's going on the dang trailer. Glued the bodily functions out of it, appears it's gonna hold. It wound up vertical, about halfway down the street side of the box. And the other half of the tarp went on the front. So I've got another seam, vertical, smack in the middle of the front. *That one* looks intentional.

I've got one seamless 9x12 that I picked up from HF. Like their canvas much better, but didn't want to fight the city traffic today to save 4 dollars. I'm saving that seamless one for the top. It'll go on next

Dear Folks ….. We’ve read about the seams in the drop cloth a million times now ( OK, maybe not a million eh ) Why don’t you open it up in the store and check for seams ? … Product inspection !!! …. if they won’t let you , then shop somewhere else , or talk to the manager … Too many products today are a Pig in a poke , and you don’t really know what the heck you’re getting … until it’s too late … And another possible concern … arent’ drop cloths put down to keep paint and things from getting on your floor ? And so , are they treated in any way to repel paint and liquids … or glue …

The more I think about it, the less-impressed I am with the quality of the Lowe's drop cloth, too. Not because of the seam... it just had a different---lesser---quality in the weave....or in the cotton, like maybe the cotton was shorter staple? Seemed fuzzier, pilly. Not mote quality but that kept crossing my mind. Just didn't look as neat after it was pressed onto the foam. The HF ones look like they're ready for an artist's paintbrush as far as smoothness and uniformity. I guess one way to say it is I don't care for the appearance of the texture. Not tearing it off and pitching it, by any means. Could well be that the finished product looks just fine after paint.